What do Sleeping Beauty, Andromache, Hillary Clinton, and Fiona (from Shrek) all have in common? At first glance it may seem like these four characters share nothing in common, aside from all being women. But if one really examines these individuals in detail, one would be surprised to find that there is much more than just the female characteristic shared. They are all, in essence, maidens of their own time.
The Maiden, also known as the Virgin, High Priestess and the Damsel in Distress, is an archetypal characteristic who matures from a girl to a woman. The Warrior or Hero goes on many journeys and physical hardships to save the Maiden. The Maiden will make a physical change as well, showing that she is growing up. When this happens, she takes responsibilities into her own hands. With this change there is also a ritual to celebrate fertility of any sort.
Greek mythology: Andromache
World Mythology: Minerva
A maiden that can be found in Roman Mythology is Minerva—also known by the Greek name, Athena. She is often portrayed as focused, and as the goddess of wisdom she is capable of looking at both sides of an argument and making a rational decision. However Minerva differs from the ‘typical’ maiden is the sense that she is able to work and compete with men without any of the awkward romantic traps that often befall a maiden. Also differing from the typical maiden is her wisdom which spouts from knowledge—something that a maiden’s ‘innocence’ does not let her achieve.
Literature: Sleeping Beauty
Literature: Rapunzel
The literary character Rapunzel demonstrates a lot of qualities found in the archetypal maiden. While locked in a tower for many years, she doesn’t ever experience the real world because she never made an attempt to escape, showing the submission found in classic maidens. She grabs the attention of the Prince with her beautiful singing voice and also falls in love with him, displaying the features of a maiden as well. The classic maiden is portrayed as chaste and pure, but the Prince impregnated Rapunzel when he visited her in the tower. Rapunzel also is not as helpless and dependent as one would think since she survives for quite awhile alone in the woods until she and the prince finally reunite.
Real Life: Hillary Clinton
Part 1
Part 2
Real Life: Anonymous
A real life Maiden is a maiden who had almost everything taken from her. This made this anonymous person have a change emotionally and show that she is grown up. This person found out her husband was cheating on her, her son dropped out of high school and doesn’t have a job and that her business was starting to crash. When everything hit rock bottom for her, she grew up and raised above all the tragedies. She divorced her husband, made her son find jobs, and worked hard to get her business back on track. This shows how she was like a “Damsel in Distress” but instead of a Warrior helping her, she took matters into her own hands. This also shows how she is a Maiden because the maiden has to take matters into her own hands and show how she grows up and this shows how she grew up.
Pop Culture: Rose Bukater (from the Titantic)
In the well regarded movie, Titantic, Rose Bukater is part of the high society life; however she is the obvious maiden. Rose, trapped in high society, has been sheltered all her life and has never experienced the outside world. Regardless, the main difference between the archetypal maiden and Rose is that later on, Rose becomes her own hero. She sets herself free from her mother’s sheltered world and allows herself to live. Of course she obtains a little help from her love interest, Jack Dawson, but in truth she is her hero.
Pop Culture: Princess Fiona Other: Lois (from Family Guy)
In the humorous show “Family Guy,” Lois Griffin, mother of three, and wife to Peter Griffin, stands out as the maiden. She often portrays innocence or ignorance when Peter sets off on his crazy quests, but also shows loyalty to her family. The main difference, however, between Lois and an archetypal maiden is that she isn’t ‘suppressed’ in the way she lives her life. Lois is very much outgoing in whatever she does, as opposed to the common maiden who often has to work or serve someone of higher rank.
Other: Sam (from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs)
This animated film has a maiden named Sam who is a new weather reporter who was made fun of when she was a girl for having glasses and a ponytail. Sam would also try new things with science and would get made fun of even more. Sam decides to change her ways of being smart and forgets her past. It takes a nerdy scientist, Flint, to show her that the real her is the little girl who is smart. Flint is also the Warrior so the Warrior made her have a physical change. When she has the change she also grows up and takes charge in showing the world that they are doomed by huge food falling from the sky.
The Maiden
What do Sleeping Beauty, Andromache, Hillary Clinton, and Fiona (from Shrek) all have in common? At first glance it may seem like these four characters share nothing in common, aside from all being women. But if one really examines these individuals in detail, one would be surprised to find that there is much more than just the female characteristic shared. They are all, in essence, maidens of their own time.
The Maiden, also known as the Virgin, High Priestess and the Damsel in Distress, is an archetypal characteristic who matures from a girl to a woman. The Warrior or Hero goes on many journeys and physical hardships to save the Maiden. The Maiden will make a physical change as well, showing that she is growing up. When this happens, she takes responsibilities into her own hands. With this change there is also a ritual to celebrate fertility of any sort.
Greek mythology: Andromache
World Mythology: Minerva
A maiden that can be found in Roman Mythology is Minerva—also known by the Greek name, Athena. She is often portrayed as focused, and as the goddess of wisdom she is capable of looking at both sides of an argument and making a rational decision. However Minerva differs from the ‘typical’ maiden is the sense that she is able to work and compete with men without any of the awkward romantic traps that often befall a maiden. Also differing from the typical maiden is her wisdom which spouts from knowledge—something that a maiden’s ‘innocence’ does not let her achieve.
Literature: Sleeping Beauty
Literature: Rapunzel
The literary character Rapunzel demonstrates a lot of qualities found in the archetypal maiden. While locked in a tower for many years, she doesn’t ever experience the real world because she never made an attempt to escape, showing the submission found in classic maidens. She grabs the attention of the Prince with her beautiful singing voice and also falls in love with him, displaying the features of a maiden as well. The classic maiden is portrayed as chaste and pure, but the Prince impregnated Rapunzel when he visited her in the tower. Rapunzel also is not as helpless and dependent as one would think since she survives for quite awhile alone in the woods until she and the prince finally reunite.
Real Life: Hillary Clinton
Real Life: Anonymous
A real life Maiden is a maiden who had almost everything taken from her. This made this anonymous person have a change emotionally and show that she is grown up. This person found out her husband was cheating on her, her son dropped out of high school and doesn’t have a job and that her business was starting to crash. When everything hit rock bottom for her, she grew up and raised above all the tragedies. She divorced her husband, made her son find jobs, and worked hard to get her business back on track. This shows how she was like a “Damsel in Distress” but instead of a Warrior helping her, she took matters into her own hands. This also shows how she is a Maiden because the maiden has to take matters into her own hands and show how she grows up and this shows how she grew up.
Pop Culture: Rose Bukater (from the Titantic)
In the well regarded movie, Titantic, Rose Bukater is part of the high society life; however she is the obvious maiden. Rose, trapped in high society, has been sheltered all her life and has never experienced the outside world. Regardless, the main difference between the archetypal maiden and Rose is that later on, Rose becomes her own hero. She sets herself free from her mother’s sheltered world and allows herself to live. Of course she obtains a little help from her love interest, Jack Dawson, but in truth she is her hero.
Pop Culture: Princess Fiona
Other: Lois (from Family Guy)
In the humorous show “Family Guy,” Lois Griffin, mother of three, and wife to Peter Griffin, stands out as the maiden. She often portrays innocence or ignorance when Peter sets off on his crazy quests, but also shows loyalty to her family. The main difference, however, between Lois and an archetypal maiden is that she isn’t ‘suppressed’ in the way she lives her life. Lois is very much outgoing in whatever she does, as opposed to the common maiden who often has to work or serve someone of higher rank.
Other: Sam (from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs)
This animated film has a maiden named Sam who is a new weather reporter who was made fun of when she was a girl for having glasses and a ponytail. Sam would also try new things with science and would get made fun of even more. Sam decides to change her ways of being smart and forgets her past. It takes a nerdy scientist, Flint, to show her that the real her is the little girl who is smart. Flint is also the Warrior so the Warrior made her have a physical change. When she has the change she also grows up and takes charge in showing the world that they are doomed by huge food falling from the sky.
Group Research Link
Works Cited
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Koponen, Libby. "Sleeping Beauty (online story from If You Love To Read)." Libby Koponen - ifyoulovetoread.com. Web. 20 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.ifyoulovetoread.com/book/chtwo_storiesfullsleeping.htm>.
Munafo, Robert P. "The Human Archetypes at MROB." Auto-redirect at MROB. Robert P. Munafo. Web. 20 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.mrob.com/pub/std/archetypes.html>.
Pollick, Michael. "What is a Damsel in Distress?" WiseGEEK: clear answers for common questions. Conjecture corporation. Web. 20 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-damsel-in-distress.htm>.
Scott. ""She's A Lady..." (Female Archetypes in the Western Tradition)." Writing Is Cake. Writing Is Cake, 11 Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.writingiscake.com/2009/01/11/shes-a-lady-female-archetypes-in-the-western-tradition/>.
"Virgin or maiden archetype explanation." Menstruation, fertility, infertility, charting cycles, conception, contraception and women's health. Web. 20 Sept. 2009.
<http://www.menstruation.com.au/periodpages/virgin.html>.
Picture Sources
"File:Johnny Gruelle illustration - Rapunzel - Project Gutenberg etext 11027.jpg -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Creative Commons Attribution. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johnny_Gruelle_illustration_-_Rapunzel_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_11027.jpg>.
"Lois 03.jpg 300x400 pixels." Proliphus Enterprises. Proliphus Enterprises. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. <http://proliphus.com/bluezhift/images/lois03.jpg>.
Meroparibesh. "1997_titanic_wallpaper_004.jpg 1024x768 pixels." Wordpress. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. <http://meroparibesh.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/1997_titanic_wallpaper_004.jpg>.
"Minerva.jpg 800x1144pixels." John Mitchell - New Classical Music. John Mitchell. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. <http://www.abm-enterprises.net/minerva.jpg>.
Perera, Ajith P. "Hillary_clinton.jpg 778x796 pixels." Wordpress. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. <http://bandaragama.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/hillary_clinton.jpg>.
"Weatherreport.jpg 240x240 pixels." School Library Journal. Reed Business Information. Web. 21 Sept. 2009. <http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/articles/images/SLJ/20090818/weatherreport.jpg>.